CN111301077A - Amphibious vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A two-wheel planing type amphibious vehicle (10) has a hull (20), a bow (24), a front wheel (30) and a rear wheel (40). The front suspension assembly (32) and the rear suspension assembly (42) are retractable separately or simultaneously. The front wheels (30) can be retracted vertically or rotationally. Steering via handlebar (50), linkage (54) and fork (36). The nose wheel (20) may be located outside the hull in both the extended and retracted positions. In land mode and marine mode, the underside of the hull (20) is continuous along the centerline of the underside and across the centerline, from the bow to the uppermost end of the hull along the centerline side point; or from the forward-most underside point on the hull to the rear end when the amphibious vehicle is taxiing at minimum speed. There may be no closure attached to the hull. Wheel wells (22) may be provided to allow retraction of the rear wheels, the wheel wells being open on the top side.

Description

amphibious vehicle

This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application 200980128171.X named "Amphibious Vehicle" filed on June 19, 2009.

technical field

The present invention relates to a two-wheeled amphibious vehicle.

Background technique

Several layouts have been proposed for amphibious vehicles with two wheels. For example, layouts are known from GB 2254 831 to Buchanan or US 6 540 569 to Gong. In both of these known arrangements, the front wheels are provided to retract into chambers in the hull, which chambers are closed by retractable wheel covers in order to enable taxiing of the amphibious vehicle. In the absence of these wheel covers, water would hit the rear side of the hull chamber, thereby significantly increasing drag and preventing skidding. However, the use of such wheel covers has been found to be problematic because the mechanism for actuating the wheel covers, as well as the wheel covers themselves, can become clogged with mud or weeds. Furthermore, due to the high impact forces on the underside of the hull during taxiing, the wheel covers can be easily lost, damaged or deformed. A deformed wheel cover may fail to retract, preventing water from coming out because the wheel cannot extend.

In a known alternative arrangement, such as that disclosed in DE 198 31 324 to Lehrberger, the hull is arranged to split along its centre line, exposing the front and rear wheels. Ditto, this layout is prone to clogging with mud and weeds. Among other things, this layout results in a bulky and difficult-to-ride build in land mode.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a two-wheel planing type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: a hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle through a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for use on land in the deployed position of the amphibian and on water use of the amphibian The front and rear wheels are moved between retracted positions of the vehicle; wherein the front wheels are located outside the hull in both the deployed and retracted positions.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a two-wheeled planing type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: a hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle through a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for use on land in the deployed position of the amphibian and on water use of the amphibian moving the front and rear wheels between retracted positions of the vehicle; wherein the underside of the hull is continuous along and across the centerline of the underside in land mode and marine mode , from the bow to the hull on the bottom-most point along the centerline.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a two-wheeled planing type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: a hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle through a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for use on land in the deployed position of the amphibian and on water use of the amphibian moving the front and rear wheels between retracted positions of the vehicle; wherein the underside of the hull is continuous along and across the centerline of the underside in land mode and marine mode , from the forward-most underside point on the hull that intersects the waterline when the amphibious vehicle is taxiing at minimum speed to the rear-most underside point on the hull along said centerline.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a two-wheel planing type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: a hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle through a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for use on land in the deployed position of the amphibian and on water use of the amphibian The front and rear wheels are moved between retracted positions of the vehicle; wherein the hull, particularly the underside of the hull, has no unattached wheel closures.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a two-wheel planing type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: a hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle through a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for use on land in the deployed position of the amphibian and on water use of the amphibian moving the front wheel and the rear wheel between retracted positions of the vehicle; wherein the front suspension assembly includes a pivot, when moving between the deployed position and the retracted position, the front The wheel rotates about this pivot.

In preferred embodiments of the first, second, third and fourth aspects of the present invention, the amphibious vehicle further comprises a wheel bay formed on the outer side of the hull, the wheel bay allowing The rear wheel moves between the deployed position and the retracted position, wherein the wheel well is open on the top surface of the hull.

In another preferred embodiment of the first, second, third and fourth aspects of the present invention, the front wheel is arranged to be between the deployed position and the retracted position by rotation about a transverse axis move.

Alternatively, the front wheel is arranged to move along a vertical trajectory between the deployed position and the retracted position.

In another preferred embodiment of the first, second, third and fourth aspects of the present invention, the amphibious vehicle further comprises a chassis portion having projections extending beyond the hull of the hull the bow to support the front suspension assembly.

In another preferred embodiment of the first, second, third and fourth aspects of the present invention, the amphibious vehicle further comprises a handlebar arranged to control the amphibious vehicle in use turn. More preferably, steering control is transmitted from the handlebar to the front wheel via a linkage.

In another preferred embodiment of the first, second, third and fourth aspects of the invention, a cutout is provided in the bow of the hull to allow the nose wheel to be in the deployed position and all movement between the indented positions.

In another preferred embodiment of the first, second, third and fourth aspects of the present invention, when the amphibious vehicle is taxiing at a minimum speed when the wheels are in the retracted position, the The wheel is above the waterline.

The arrangement of the present invention is advantageous in that it does not require a movable hull part and a drive mechanism for the hull part, either of which could become jammed. Also, since there is no need for wheel covers, there is less chance of hull failure. The weight reduction due to the omission of these parts is particularly important for planing-type amphibians, where the weight of the amphibious vehicle has to be lifted above the water; this is in contrast to displacement-type vehicles that only push water to the sides (displacement) Amphibious vehicles are the opposite.

Description of drawings

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference only to the following figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic elevation view of a two-wheeled amphibious vehicle in its land mode configuration;

Figure 2 shows a schematic elevation view of the amphibian of Figure 1 in its marine mode configuration;

Figure 2a shows a schematic plan view of the stern of the amphibian of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a first alternative marine mode configuration; and

Figure 4 shows a second alternative marine mode configuration.

Detailed ways

FIG. 1 shows an amphibious vehicle 10 having a hull 20 , a bow 24 and front and rear wheels 30 , 40 . Front and rear wheels 30 , 40 are shown in their deployed positions for use of the amphibious vehicle on land 14 in land mode.

The front wheel 30 is mounted to the amphibious vehicle 10 by a front suspension assembly 32 , and the rear wheel 40 is mounted to the amphibian 10 by a rear suspension assembly 42 . A steering assembly 52 including a handlebar 50 and a steering connection link 54 is operatively connected to the front suspension 32 to allow the rider to steer the amphibious vehicle 10 by steering the front wheels. A marine steering system for use in or on the water may also be controlled by the handlebar 50 through a marine steering mechanism (not shown). Seat 12 is also provided.

Front suspension 32 includes a front connecting link 38 connected to front forks 36 at pivot 34 . The front connecting rod 38 passes through the hull 20 via a watertight sealed bearing (not shown) that allows the front connecting rod 38 to rotate to allow movement when turning, and which seals the hull 20 to Prevent water from entering. The front wheel 30 is supported for rotation by a front fork 36 .

The rear suspension 42 includes a rear trailing arm 46 that is mounted to the amphibian 10 at a pivot point 44 . The opposite end of trailing arm 46 supports rear wheel 40 for rotation.

Both the front and rear suspensions are provided with wheel retraction mechanisms (not shown) which can be arranged to retract the front and rear wheels simultaneously. Alternatively, the wheel retraction mechanism includes a front wheel retraction assembly and a rear wheel retraction assembly so that the front and rear wheels can be independently deployed or retracted. In one embodiment, wheel retraction is achieved through the use of hydraulic struts that may form part of the suspension system. The strut may be constructed according to applicant's patent US 6 886 837 B2 and may have an intermediate pivot mount similar to that disclosed in US 6 945 832 B2.

FIG. 2 shows the amphibian 10 with the front and rear wheels 30 , 40 in a retracted position for use of the amphibian in marine mode on the water 16 .

As can be seen, the nose wheel 30 has been retracted to a position forward of the bow 24 and above the waterline 16 by the articulation of the fork frame 36 about the pivot 34 . Because the front wheel 30 must not interfere with the bow 24 during its movement or when it is stopped, the front fork frame 36 is provided with a hydraulically controlled retractable rod (not shown) that retracts with the front wheel 30 further extend. These telescopic rods may form part of the front suspension. The front wheel 30 is held in the retracted position by a retraction mechanism, and may be locked by any suitable means, such as by mechanical or hydraulic locking.

By articulation of the rear trailing arm 46 about the pivot point 44, the rear wheel 40 is retracted to a position above the waterline. The rear wheel 40 is held in said position by a retraction mechanism, which can be locked by means of a strut locking peg according to GB 2 397 344B, for example.

The hull 20 includes a rear wheel bay 22 in the stern (Fig. 2a). In this embodiment, the rear wheel 40 is partially located within the rear wheel well 22 in both the land mode configuration and the marine mode configuration. Alternatively, the rear wheels may be located aft of the stern 23 in a land mode configuration and/or a marine mode configuration. In any of the configurations described above, the rear wheel is located on the wet side of the hull, rather than in the interior compartment. Thus, in retracted and extended positions, the rear wheels are outside the hull. It is important to distinguish the rear wheel wells shown in the figures, which are open at the top and the wheel wells closed at the top, from the wheel wells disclosed in the prior art. In particular, if the vent is located in the slot 22, the open top of the slot will allow some water to spread upward, which makes the backflow impinging on the amphibious vehicle less effective when the amphibious vehicle comes off the plane. Too likely to flow into the exhaust system, potentially damaging the exhaust system and engine.

Figure 2a also shows an example lateral axis X-X of the amphibian. When the amphibious vehicle is standing upright on level ground, X-X is the axis passing through the amphibian from left to right. The rear wheels - and optionally, the front wheels - may be retracted about an axis parallel to the axis X-X.

Although, above, the term land mode is generally associated with the wheels in the deployed position, and the term marine mode is generally associated with the wheels in the retracted position, it should be understood that the wheels may be open when the amphibian is in water , for example, when the amphibian enters or exits the water; or when the amphibian travels at low speed in a congested area such as a dock.

An alternative layout of the two-wheeled amphibian 10 ′ is shown in FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, the front fork frame 36' is shaped and positioned so that it turns to either side of the point of the bow 24' as the front wheel 30 is retracted or extended.

Yet another embodiment of the two-wheeled amphibian 10" is shown in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the front wheels 30 are mounted to the amphibian 10" by a chassis assembly 58 having an extension A protrusion 56 above the bow 24". The protrusion 56 supports the front wheel 30 by a front suspension (not shown). The front wheel 30 is constrained to extend vertically and by a retractable front suspension (not shown). Retracted. That is, the wheels are retracted or extended in a vertical trajectory. For clarity, the vertical trajectory is at right angles to the axis X-X in Figure 2a, from top to bottom when the amphibious vehicle is standing upright on level ground The section passes through the amphibious vehicle and is perpendicular to said horizontal ground. This vertical movement may be achieved by one or more hydraulically controlled telescopic rods. Preferably, a cutout 25 is provided in the bow 24", at The wheel 30 may pass through this cutout when deployed or retracted. Similar to the wheel well 22 described above with reference to Figure 2a, the cutout is open at the top of the hull. Alternatively, the front wheel may be mounted on an articulating fork as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 .

Each of the amphibious vehicles 10, 10' and 10" described above includes a power unit, such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, suitable for driving the amphibious vehicle in land mode and marine mode. The power The unit can drive one or both wheels in land mode and can also drive water propulsion such as water jet drives or thrusters in marine mode. Alternatively the water drive power unit and the land drive power unit may be discrete Yes. Provide suitable power cut-off and transmission.

Although item 20 is described above as a hull, it is also common for amphibious vehicles to have a hull and a hull, the hull being the lower, water-facing enclosure and the body being shell upwards. The hull and body may be joined together at peripheral joints, as disclosed in applicant's co-pending application (Publication No. US 2006/0,199,449 A1). In this application, however, a single hull is shown and described for clarity. It will be appreciated that in practice a separate upper body may also be provided. This may be to: provide an attractive amphibious vehicle style; provide sealing of the steering system to avoid water ingress; and provide for the installation of desired equipment such as instrument consoles and windshields.

What is offered in traditional vehicle engineering is the monolithic body shell. Particular challenges are presented when the integral body shell is applied to an amphibious vehicle. When the lower part of such a body is mounted to an amphibious vehicle, since the lower part faces the water, the lower part of the body must be treated as a hull, must be sealed against water, and must withstand when the amphibian porpoises The force of water, such as slamming loads.

A common concern for users of two-wheeled vehicles or two-wheeled amphibians is lateral stability. Amphibious vehicles can take advantage of their dual-purpose nature. The longitudinal central portion of the amphibian must be narrowed to allow the cyclist to place at least one foot down when stationary in traffic to keep the amphibian upright. However, a V-shaped hull is usually provided before and after the central portion, which allows the amphibian to be wider than a conventional motorcycle without increasing the risk of landing when the amphibian banked turns. Adding buoyancy foam to the outer edge of the V-shaped hull adds minimal weight on land and greater buoyancy in water.

The amphibious vehicle is not provided with wheel closures. The term "closure" means anything that closes a securing hole, including a plate, lid, cap, or cover. The closure may comprise one or more components; and may be manually or powered closed. The closure can be rotated, slid or otherwise closed. Typically, the closure moves to close the hole in the hull, which is underwater when the amphibian is stationary and on the water. When in the closed position, the closure allows the amphibian to glide. The term wheel closure includes a cover that at least partially closes the cavity in the hull in which the wheel is retracted. The term also includes a cover that at least partially encloses the wheel with the hull when the wheel is retracted. The term also includes a cover that is movable from any angle between a position not covering the wheel and a position covering the wheel to form a substantially smooth and complete outer surface of the hull or hull. Thus, the closures differ from the fenders, which are permanently deployed, whether the wheels are deployed or retracted, and cannot be moved from one position to another during normal operation of the amphibian. Typically, the closure will be under the wheel when closed. Fenders are often fixed to the body work and are located above the wheels. When mounted on the fork that supports the wheel, the fender maintains a fixed relationship with the wheel. The orientation of the fenders may change as the wheels are extended or retracted, however, unlike closures, the fenders cannot cover gaps in the hull.

The outside or wet side of the hull is the side of the hull that is exposed to water; this side is the opposite of the inside of the hull, which is dry and effectively sealed against the ingress of water. It is recognized that traditional engine compartments require air inlets and outlets for cooling, combustion and exhaust purposes; however, even such air intake and exhaust openings have complex passages (labyrinthine), commonly referred to as "swordfish" )" to keep as much water out as possible.

Although in the above the front and rear wheels are described as a single unitary component, it should be understood that the front and/or rear wheels may comprise two or more independent wheels mounted in close proximity on a common axle such that the two or multiple wheels effectively form a single wheel.

Any feature of any embodiment may be combined with other features of any embodiment.

Claims (16)

1. A two-wheel skid-type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for moving the front and rear wheels between a deployed position for land use and a retracted position for water use of the amphibian; Wherein the front wheel is located outside the hull in both the deployed position and the retracted position. 2. A two-wheeled skid-type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for moving the front and rear wheels between a deployed position for land use and a retracted position for water use of the amphibian; wherein in land mode and marine mode, the underside of the hull is continuous along the centerline of the underside and across the centerline, from the bow to the uppermost end of the hull along the centerline side point. 3. A two-wheeled skid-type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for moving the front and rear wheels between a deployed position for land use and a retracted position for water use of the amphibian; Wherein in land mode and marine mode, the underside of the hull is continuous along and across the centerline of the underside, from the hull to the waterline when the amphibious vehicle is taxiing at minimum speed The forward-most underside point of the intersection to the forward-most underside point on the hull along the centerline. 4. A two-wheel skid-type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for moving the front and rear wheels between a deployed position for land use and a retracted position for water use of the amphibian; wherein the hull has no wheel closures attached. 5. A two-wheeled skid-type amphibious vehicle for use on land and water, comprising: hull; a front wheel mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a front suspension assembly; rear wheels mounted to the amphibious vehicle via a rear suspension assembly; at least one wheel retraction mechanism for moving the front and rear wheels between a deployed position for land use and a retracted position for water use of the amphibian; wherein the front suspension assembly includes a pivot about which the front wheel rotates when moving between the deployed position and the retracted position. 6. A two-wheel planing amphibious vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising wheel wells formed on the outside of the hull to allow the rear wheels to be in the deployed position and between the retracted positions wherein the wheel wells are open on the top surface of the hull. 7. A two-wheeled planing amphibious vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the front wheels are arranged to be between the deployed position and the retracted position by rotation about a transverse axis move between. 8. A two-wheeled planing amphibian according to any preceding claim, wherein the front wheels are arranged to move along a vertical trajectory between the deployed position and the retracted position. 9. The two-wheel planing amphibious vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a chassis portion having a protrusion extending beyond the bow of the hull to support the front suspension assembly. 10. A two wheel planing amphibian according to any preceding claim, further comprising a handlebar arranged to control the steering of the amphibian when in use. 11. The two-wheel planing amphibious vehicle of claim 10, wherein steering control is transmitted from the handlebar to the front wheels via a linkage. 12. A two-wheel planing amphibian according to any preceding claim, wherein a cutout is provided in the bow of the hull to allow the front wheels to be in the deployed position and the Move between indented positions. 13. A two-wheel planing amphibious vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein in the retracted position the wheels are located above the waterline when the amphibian is taxiing at minimum speed. superior. 14. A two-wheel planing type amphibious vehicle, wherein the front wheel and the rear wheel are located on the wet side of the hull in both the deployed position and the retracted position, and in the deployed and retracted positions process remains on the wet side. 15. A two-wheel planing amphibious vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the front wheel has an axis of rotation and the pivot in the front suspension assembly defines a rotation parallel to the wheel The pivot axis of the axis. 16. A two-wheel planing amphibious vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 5, 6 or 15, wherein the front wheel has a wheel hub that is in contact with the front wheel in the deployed position The suspension assembly pivot is at or below the front wheel suspension assembly pivot, and the wheel hub is higher than the front wheel suspension assembly pivot in the retracted position.

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